Lot
7 A

HENRY MACKENZIE (1745-1831) & JOHN HOME (1722-1808)

Price realisedGBP 4,980

EstimateGBP 400 - GBP 600

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HENRY MACKENZIE (1745-1831) & JOHN HOME (1722-1808)
Papers from the collection of the great great grandson of Henry Mackenzie (author of The Man of Feeling), relating to John HOME (author of Douglas and tutor to George III as Prince of Wales) and also David HUME (1711-76), comprising: 1. Henry Mackenzie, "Account of the Life and Writings of John Home", extensive holograph manuscript, folio, with notes, unbound. 2. John Home, fragment holograph manuscript of Douglas, 1p., 4to, together with papers by Mackenzie concerning it. 3. John Home, a 3pp. a.l.s., 4to, Edinburgh 1796, to General Charles Stuart. 4. Sir Robert Liston, a 2½pp. a.l.s., 4to, 15 October 1821, to Mackenzie, regarding Home. 5. Dugald Stewart, a 4½pp. a.l.s., 4to, to Mackenzie, regarding David Hume, Wilkie and Adam Ferguson, together with 1p. of holograph notes. 6. Copy letter, "Adam Ferguson to John Home, dated at Edinburgh 11 April 1776", and part transcript from Home's diary, in holograph of Henry Mackenzie, 16pp., folio, of intense interest regarding Home and Adam Smith's chance encounter with David Hume at Morpeth on 23rd of April, and Home's subsequent attendance on Hume in the course of his journey to Bath. 'David seeing a Pair of Pistols in the Chaise said that as he had very little at stake he would indulge me in my humour of fighting the highwaymen ... Mr. Hume and I played an hour at Picquet -- Mr. David was very keen about his card playing ... he still maintains that the national debt must be the ruin of Britain and laments that the two most civilized nations, the English and French should be on the decline; and the Barbarians, the Goths and Vandals of Germany should be rising in power and renown ....'
(a lot) Provenance: Myers & Co. (booksellers). Home's diary of his journey to Bath with the dying but magnificently stoical David Hume was first published in Henry Mackenzie's 'Life of John Home', included in the 1822 edition of Home's Works.